Sebastes levis
Encyclopedia
The cowcod, Sebastes levis is a member of the Sebastidae
(rockfish) family. In Greek
, Sebastes
means “magnificent,” and levis is Latin
for “capricious” or "fantastic".
. Females mature at 13 inches (32cm).
of the deep shelf
and upper slope, living in depths of 65 to 1600 feet (20 to 500 m). They eat fish, octopus, and squid. Juvenile cowcod eat small shrimp and crabs.
in other fisheries. The species was estimated by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to be at 4 to 7% of its unfished biomass in 2000. They were declared overfished in 2000. At current population levels, it will take on the order of 75 to 100+ years to recover the species (with a modest 2-4 metric tons of harvest/bycatch per year).
The cowcod is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
California Fish & Game has closed 5,100 square nautical miles off southern California to all bottomfishing as a cowcod conservation area, and prohibited all cowcod catch.
Sebastidae
Sebastidae is a family of marine fish in the order Scorpaeniformes. Their common names include rockfishes, thornyheads and rockcods. Despite the latter name, they are not closely related to the cods in the genus Gadus, nor the rock cod, Lotella rhacina.Not all authorities recognise this family as...
(rockfish) family. In Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Sebastes
Sebastes
Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae , most of which have the common name of rockfish. Most of the world's almost 110 Sebastes species live in the north Pacific, although two live in the south Pacific/Atlantic and four Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae (though...
means “magnificent,” and levis is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for “capricious” or "fantastic".
Distribution and biology
The cowcod is one of the largest rockfish species, reaching almost 39 inches (1 m) in total length and may live up to 55 years. Like other species of their genus, cowcod are internal fertilizers. Reproduction occurs in winter an early spring, and larvae spend about 100 days as planktonPlankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
. Females mature at 13 inches (32cm).
Ecology
It is an ambush predatorAmbush predator
Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture prey by stealth or cunning, not by speed or necessarily by strength. These organisms usually hide motionless and wait for prey to come within striking distance. They are often camouflaged, and may be solitary...
of the deep shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
and upper slope, living in depths of 65 to 1600 feet (20 to 500 m). They eat fish, octopus, and squid. Juvenile cowcod eat small shrimp and crabs.
Conservation
The main threats to cowcod are overharvesting and bycatchBycatch
The term “bycatch” is usually used for fish caught unintentionally in a fishery while intending to catch other fish. It may however also indicate untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting...
in other fisheries. The species was estimated by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to be at 4 to 7% of its unfished biomass in 2000. They were declared overfished in 2000. At current population levels, it will take on the order of 75 to 100+ years to recover the species (with a modest 2-4 metric tons of harvest/bycatch per year).
The cowcod is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
California Fish & Game has closed 5,100 square nautical miles off southern California to all bottomfishing as a cowcod conservation area, and prohibited all cowcod catch.